The Department of Horticulture conducts dynamic research for the deciduous fruit, citrus and fynbos industries, providing value-adding technology for industry partners aimed at increasing their global competitiveness and profitability. This includes research on reproductive development in deciduous fruit trees, with special emphasis on factors involved in reproductive bud induction and initiation, dry mass allocation to fruit, and therefore fruit size and quality, fruit tree management and allocation physiology, including training systems, tree manipulation, rootstocks, light management, crop-oriented nutrient management strategies, and carbohydrate accumulation and utilisation. Interaction between the environment and deciduous fruit tree physiology and productivity, and in particular the effects of climatic stress on carbohydrate availability, water relations and fruit quality and on climate-ameliorating technologies in the orchard, are researched. Emphasis is also placed on fruit colour development and factors involved in colour degradation in apples and pears. The regulation of vegetative and reproductive growth and the development of Citrus species, with emphasis on fruit quality enhancement, including sugar accumulation, acid metabolism, rind colour manipulation, and fruit size enhancement, are further areas of research. Post-harvest physiology is also researched (including cell wall physiology and ripening-related disorders), as well as technology of fynbos, citrus, pome fruit, stone fruit and table grapes, including handling protocols from the point of harvest, through packing, cooling and distribution, climatic influences on quality, and non-destructive technology for determining fruit quality. Apart from the post-harvest research on fynbos we investigate flower induction in protea and Leucadendron.

Academic:
Prof KI Theron (Chairperson; Tree Physiology)
Dr PJR Cronje (Citrus Post-harvest Physiology)
Dr EM Crouch (Pome Post-harvest Physiology)
Dr EW Hoffman (Fynbos Production)
MM Jooste (Stone Fruit Post-harvest Physiology)
Dr E Lötze (Pome Fruit Quality)
Dr M Schmeisser (Environmental Physiology)
Dr WJ Steyn (Tree Physiology)
Dr S Verreynne (Citrus Tree Physiology)

Professor Extraordinary:
Prof E Rabe (Citrus Production)
Prof Cook (Tree Architecture)
Prof M Huysamer (Post-harvest Physiology)

Professor Emeritus:
Prof G Jacobs (Fynbos Production)

Technical:
SA Agenbag, D de Koker, GH Groenewald, GAF Lötze, Dr EA Rohwer, WH van Kerwel

Administrative:
DJ Daniels, MC Pienaar

Supporting:
MN Ntunze, S Swarts, B Titus

Contact information:
Tel: +27 21 808 4900